1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an exercise device with a stretchable elastic member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Exercise devices with stretchable elastic members allow exercising of selected muscles such as muscles of the chest and the arms. Some of the exercise devices with stretchable elastic members are lightweight and small in size to allow easy carriage. One type of the exercise devices with stretchable elastic members comprises a bar and an elastic member having two ends respectively attached to two ends of the bar. In use, the user positions an intermediate portion of the elastic member with one or both feet to retain the elastic member and grips the ends of the bar with both hands and repeatedly raises the bar to the chest or head level for exercising the muscles of the chest and the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,668 discloses a slotted exercise apparatus of this type. The exercise apparatus comprises a bar member having two open ends, an elastic member, and two handles respectively attached to the open ends of the bar member. Each open end of the bar member is in communication with a cavity in the bar member. A slot is disposed in each end of the bar member and extends along a surface of the bar member to a length intermediate the two open ends and is in communication with the cavity. Each handle includes an engaging portion inserted into an associated open end and an associated slot. Each handle further includes an extending portion connected to the engaging portion and to the elastic member. The associated slot simultaneously receives the extending portion as the associated open end and the cavity receive the engaging portion. The extending portion extends through and from the associated slot forming a gap between the bar member and a section of the extending portion for gripping the bar member. A cap receives and covers each open end to thereby facilitate retention of the engaging portion of the associated handle within the cavity.
The exercise apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,668 allows easy assembly and compact storage, as the elastic member and the handles are detachably mounted to the ends of the bar member. However, the assembling procedure is troublesome, as the extending portion of each handle must be extended through the associated slot. Further, use of the cap for retaining the handle is inconvenient to the user. Further, the engaging portion of each handle must be completely received in the associated slot of the bar member such that the bar member per se must have a considerable length to allow the user to grip the ends of the bar member, leading to adverse effect to storage and carriage. Although the bar member may be comprised of two members that can be detachably coupled together for the purposes of compact storage and easy carriage, an additional assembling procedure is required.